Why Is a Mezuzah Slanted? The Ashkenazi vs Sephardi Custom
Walk through almost any Ashkenazi home and you'll notice the mezuzah is tilted — not vertical, not horizontal, but at a slant. It's not a decorating choice. It's the result of a famous 12th-century halachic dispute, and the compromise is now standard practice.
The dispute: Rashi vs Rabbeinu Tam
Rashi (11th century) held that the mezuzah should be placed vertically, like the Torah is held upright in the ark.
His grandson Rabbeinu Tam (12th century) held that the mezuzah should be placed horizontally, like the tablets Moshe carried and the Torah scroll rests in the ark.
Neither side fully won. Both opinions are valid in Jewish law.
The Ashkenazi compromise: a slant
Rather than choose one, the Rema (Rabbi Moshe Isserles, 16th century) ruled that Ashkenazim should affix the mezuzah at a slant, honoring both opinions at once. That's the universal Ashkenazi custom today.
Which way does the top tilt?
The top of the mezuzah tilts inward — toward the room you are entering. The bottom points toward the outside of that room.
On the front door, this means the top tilts into the house and the bottom tilts toward the street.
What Sephardim do
Sephardic and Mizrachi Jews follow Rashi's opinion and hang the mezuzah vertically. Many Chabad and some Yemenite families also use a vertical mezuzah. Follow your family minhag.
For the full step-by-step including height and the bracha, see How to Hang a Mezuzah.
Need help installing yours in Miami?
Rabbi Levi Backman, Certified Sofer STaM, installs mezuzot at the correct angle and height across Miami, Aventura, Miami Beach, Bal Harbour, Surfside, Sunny Isles, and Hallandale. WhatsApp 845-729-1459 to book.
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